Improvement in car-brakes



ALBION M. ROUSE, 0F SOTH ST. LOUIS, ASSGNOR ol@ chE-HALF EIS RGHT To CASIMER AMSLER, on ST. LOUIS,`MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN ARBRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,934, dated Jannary 14, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBION M. RoUsE, of South St. Louis, St. Louis county, Missouri, have invented certain Improvements in Railway-Car Brakes, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to means for equalizip'g the strain on the brakes of a pair of trucks, and for equalizing the pressure on the two brake-bars of each truck irrespective of any variation in the thickness of the shoes. rIhe brakes of the two trucks are connected by a continuous wire rope or chain, and power is applied by means of an equalizing-lever of peculiar construction arranged between the trucks, the same carrying pulleys, around which said rope or chain is passed. The hand-shafts (or their equivalents) are connected to the equali'zing-lever by rods or chains. The brake-bars of each truck are actuated through the medium of a central crank-shaft having a slotted bearing at one end to permit equalizing end play.

My equalizing devices may be applied to hand, steam, air, or electrical brakes, and to street-cars as well as railroad cars proper.

Figure 1 isa bottom view of two trucks with my brake applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section on the line .10.96. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal longitudinal section of the equaliziuglever. Fig. 4 is a side view of the equalizingshaft. Fig. 5 is a section of the equalizingshaft at the line y y.

A B are the frames of two car-trucks, to whose cross-timbers are attached to the parts ot the brake. C are hand-shafts, which are turned by the brakesman, and upon whose lower ends are coiled the ends of the chains D in the ordinary manner. The other ends of the chains I) are attached to the ends of the compensator or equalizer lever E, which turns on a fulcrum. F, attached to one of the trucks, or some point between the two. G are tivo rollers, (ofthe equalizer,) whose peripheries are grooved to receive the wire rope or chain.H which passes around the pulleys, as shownin Fig. 3,'so that the strain upon the lever E caused through the ropes or chains Dis always equal on both ends of the rope H. The fulcrum F of the lever E is projected laterally thereof so as to permit the rope H to extend in a Straight line from one pulley to the other. g are guard-plates to retain the rope H on the pulleys. These guards may, if preferred, be formed of a number of pins in place of the close plates. The ends of the rope H are attached to the lever-arms I upon each truck. The arms I extend at right angles from the ends of fulcrum-shafts J, turning'in boxes K L. The box K has a circular or nearly circular socket-bearing for the shaft, but the ,journal-box L has an elongated or oblong socket to allow longitudinal play to that end of the shaft to equalize the pressure upon the two brake-bars of the truck. M is a crossbar, to whose ends are fastened bars m extending to the two brake-bars N, so that as the shaft J is turned the shoes O are moved to or from the wheels and should the shoes upon one bar be Worn more than those upon the other, the end ot' the shaft J moves longitudinally toward the latter,.(within the oblong box L,) and 4an equal pressure is consequently exerted on both brake-bars.`

In applying my brake to street-cars, for in stance, an equalizer, E, may be applied to the shaft J in place of the lever or cross-bar M, and the brake-bars vconnected by a wire rope, H, passing around the pulleys, as Shown in Fig. 3 5 and in this case the lower end of the shaft may turn in a closely-fitting box, as the equalizer would do away with the necessity of the longitudinal movement before described.

The shaft J may either be perpendicular, as shown on truck A, and in Figs. 4 and 5; or may be horizontal, as shown on truck B, or inclined, as occasion may require, its action being the same in all cases.

I am aware that equalizers of the general forms above described have already been separately proposed. This much of my invention is, therefore, disclaimed.

Claim.

The following is claimed as new:

The combination, as herein specified, of equalizing-lever E, pulleys G, rope or chain H, levers I, crank-shafts J M, slotted bearings L, and connecting-rods m for applying and equalizing the pressure on the two brakes of a pair of trucks, and on the two brake-bars of each, as herein set forth.

Witnesses: ALBION M. HOUSE.

SAML. KNIGHT, JAMES R. MULLEN. i 

